a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hand scraper.
More specifically, it relates to a hand scraper having an ergonomic design that gives it more powerful scraping effect in addition of making it more comfortable and safer in use.
b) Brief Description of the Prior Art
There are numerous hand scrapers presently available on the market, which basically comprise a blade extending transversely at one end of a supporting handle. Such scrapers are commonly used to remove paint or other materials from a surface.
Usually, the handle is straight and flat and the blade projects in the same plane as the handle or at an angle below the same (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,890,351 and 4,955,138). Alternatively, the blade can be of an inverted U-shape with a flat top attached to the handle and two bottom legs each forming a scraping edge (see item 3 in FIG. 1). Of course, in order to be efficient and the scraper must have a strong, easy-to-grasp handle, and a properly positioned, easy-to-replace blade.
A first object of the present invention is to provide a hand scraper of the above mentioned type, whose handle is upwardly curved over all its length in order to give more room to the user""s fingers and to allow maximum transfer of a downward pressure exerted by the user towards the blade.
Another object of the invention is to provide a hand scraper as defined hereinabove, whose handle is rubberized in order to maximize grip and reduce hand fatigue.
A further object of the invention is to provide a hand scraper as defined hereinabove, which is provided with a transverse bead that projects downwardly from the handle close to the blade and acts as a safety guard to prevent the user""s fingers from inadvertent contact with the blade, especially in the case of a blade of inverted U-shape.
The hand scraper according to the invention is of the type comprising:
a blade having at least one cutting edge;
a handle having a front end with a bottom portion shaped and sized to receive and act as a support for the blade, the handle also having a central portion and a rear end with a bottom portion; and
attachment means for detachably connecting in a rigid manner the blade to the bottom portion of the front end of the handle in such a way that the handle and the cutting edge of the blade extend perpendicularly to each other.
In accordance with the invention, the hand scraper is characterized in that the handle is upwardly curved over all its length in order (1) to give room to a user""s fingers below the central portion when said central portion is gripped by said fingers and the blade and the bottom portion of the rear end of the handle are in contact with a surface; and (2) to allow maximum transfer of pressure exerted by the user in the central section of the handle towards the blade at the front end thereof.
In accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the central portion of the handle is covered at least in part with a layer of rubber material in order to maximize grip and reduce hand fatigue in use.
In accordance with another particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the bottom portion of the rear end of the handle is round-shaped and of a reduced size in order to reduce as much as possible friction contact with the surface in use. Moreover, the central portion of the handle has a rear part with a recessed bottom portion in order to give additional room to the user""s fingers and to allow maximum pulling action in use. In addition, the front end of the handle has a top portion which is slightly recessed in a direction parallel to the edge(s) of the blade in order to form opposite reinforcing edges on both sides of the top portion of the front end of the handle and thus to allow maximum downward pressure onto the blade in use.
As aforesaid, the blade can be flat. Alternatively, the blade can have an inverted U-shape with a flat top sized to fit onto the bottom portion of the front end of the handle, and with two bottom legs each acting as said at least one edge of the blade.
In the latter case, the bottom portion of the front end of the handle preferably incorporates a transversally extending, downwardly projecting bead that is positioned to be adjacent to one of the edges of the blade after the blade has been connected to the handle. This bead acts as a locking means to prevent uncontrolled rotation of the blade relative to the handle in the case of inadvertent release of the attachment means, and as a safety guard to prevent the user""s fingers for inadvertent contact with the blade.
The invention and its advantages will be better understood upon reading the following non-restrictive description of two preferred embodiments of the invention, made with reference to the accompanying drawings.